Skin care is very important for women and men of all ages. Proper moisture levels in your skin (epidermis) help diminish signs of aging and distress from the outdoors, and prevent frequent makeup and cosmetics use from diminishing the skin's glow and general health.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

You might disagree, but hear me out on this. More and more people are shopping for all natural organic skin care solutions. There is no doubt that natural herbal skin care products are the best choice, but you cannot always trust that they are completely safe, for a number of reasons.

The terms that cosmetic companies use for naming their products, or for advertising purposes, are not well-regulated by government agencies. Manufacturers in the US are allowed to put products on the market, without testing them for safety.

The rules concerning all natural organic skin care creams are a little more stringent in Canada and the European Union, but the company has to be dedicated to providing safe and effective ingredients. They also have to pay attention to the latest research reports. Most of them do neither of those things.

Recently, a public group, supporting the use of more organic products, had a number of natural herbal skin care cleansers evaluated for safety. Specifically, they were looking for a chemical called 1, 4 Dioxane, a human cancer-causing agent, that forms during the manufacturing processes that most companies use.

They found that many of the supposedly all natural organic skin care cleansers contained it. It is possible for companies to manufacture cleansers, without creating this toxic byproduct. But, even when they use the right manufacturing processes, they should still have finished batches tested by an independent laboratory, to be sure that the cleanser is safe.

If you see a natural herbal skin care cream with an SPF (sunburn protection factor) rating, check the label of ingredients for oxybenzone or benzophenone. They are naturally occurring organics, but they were never fully tested for safety, despite the fact that they are derived from benzene, a known human carcinogen.

Over two years ago, researchers showed that the compounds damage DNA strands inside the cells, when they are exposed to UV rays from the sun. That makes them probable human "photocarcinogens", a class of cancer-causing agents that are only dangerous when exposed to sunlight. The news seems ironic, sense sunscreens are supposed to help protect us from cancer. Despite the research, there are still many natural herbal skin care creams on the market that contain oxybenzone and/or benzophenone.

If you want a safe and effective all natural organic skin care cream, look for one with ingredients that are safe enough to eat. They may be processed slightly to make them easy to apply, so they might not appeal to "purists".

But, unless you want to walk around with pulverized kelp on your face, a little processing is a good thing. Researchers have found that a specific kind of kelp (wakame) contains a compound called sulfated polyfucose. The compound provides some sunburn protection, without being hazardous to your health.

Wakame natural herbal skin care lotions also provide an anti-aging benefit. They inhibit enzymatic activity that breaks down one of the skin's important amino acid complexes, namely hyaluronic acid. Hopefully, the information in this article will help you find all natural organic skin care solutions that are truly beneficial.

To learn more about vitamins for healthy skin, and other incredible natural substances for natural healthy skin care, visit my website today.